Lover Come Back
by midnight-cat
Summary: Shuichi chooses to leave Yuki and Japan after the novelist concedes to Tohma's ultimatum that they break up. As Bad Luck joins with XMR in New York, they will team up with their new photographer to take the States by storm. But is danger lurking in the background, even as their ex-lovers try to win them back?
1. The End is Always Bittersweet

_This story pretty much revolves around the events that happened in Vol. 8 of the manga. I kept some original dialogue in while adding a unique spin to things. If you love reading about an empowered, takes-no-shit Shuichi, then you've come to the right place. To some of you, Shu's actions may seem a little OOC, but I like to think that this would be the reaction of a person who's fed up with being mistreated by people._

 _This story will kinda be a crossover with an AU, modern-day Naruto. I'll temporarily be borrowing some of Kishimoto's characters._

 _ **Disclaimer**_ _: If I did own Gravitation, I'd be rich and probably not writing fanfiction. Since that's not the case, I don't own Gravitation._

* * *

" _ **The hottest love has the coldest end." – Socrates**_

Tohma looked over at Shuichi as he sat on the couch. He allowed no hint of his true feelings to show as he looked at the younger man. "So, how did it go? I want all the dirt on your excursion with Eiri-san!"

Shuichi glanced up at his boss, confused as to where the conversation was going. Although, with it not being too long since Yuki's release from the hospital, he couldn't say he was too surprised. "Really – uh, okay…! It was fun."

"That's excellent. It will make a nice memory for you. It should keep you from being so lonely."

Shuichi felt a pulse of alarm at Seguchi's words. Sure the man was smiling, but he knew that his smile hid a deadly surprise. One that was just waiting to be unleashed like a spring loaded trap on him. Deciding to play along, he said, "Yeah, I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven."

"Well now that it's over, I forbid you from seeing Eiri-san _ever_ again."

Shuichi couldn't help the widening of his eyes when he heard. Anger started bubbling deep in his veins at once again having his life dictated for him. For now, though, it was best to play the part of the fool to see how far things would go. "Hey, wait a minute. You had me going there, Seguchi-san. Nice poker face."

"I'm not joking. I want you to disappear from Eiri-san's life immediately. You're nothing but an intruder. You may think that you have Eiri-san all to yourself, but dear, sweet Yuki belongs to me. I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression. If you insist on carrying on with this little charade, then I suggest you think about to whom you owe the success of Bad Luck."

Teeth grinding together, Shuichi fought to keep his temper. _You fucking, sanctimonious son of a bitch! I_ _ **knew**_ _you'd bring that up. Why am_ _ **I**_ _the only one around here always taking shit because of Yuki?_

The door to Tohma's office slammed open, catching both Hiro and K off guard. Shuichi stormed out, his head lowered so that they couldn't see his face clearly. Hiro noticed his friend's darkening mood and steered him away from Tohma's office. Glancing back at K, he knew what the man was thinking. K had a plan. He was certain of it. Whether it would be good or bad was still up in the air. After successfully maneuvering Shuichi to the lobby, Hiro sat down on the couch next to his friend. Shuichi sat there, his head cradled in his hands. It hurt him to see his friend reduced to this. And all over a man who he, at times, wondered if he even cared about his friend.

As Shuichi related what had happened in their boss's office, his nerves refused to calm down. "What should I do? What should I do? What?! This is…this is blackmail! This means…this means that he's forcing me to choose either the bad or Yuki, right?!"

"Yeah, it's a pretty sickening game he's got going. This kind of thing really pisses me off. Shuichi, listen…stay with Yuki-san. Seriously, we'll tell NG to go fuck themselves."

Shuichi looked over at Hiro, shocked by his friend's words. "Hiro, are you serious?" He had to admit it was really tempting to just follow Hiro's advice. But he felt cheated at having to sacrifice everything that Bad Luck had worked for all in the name of keeping his relationship with Yuki. "Let's calm down and think this out, okay? Let's not make any rash decisions. Let me talk to Yuki first, and ask about Seguchi-san…to his face. It's the only way to be sure!"

* * *

Shuichi tried to calm his breathing as he entered the apartment. Noticing that Yuki's office door was ajar, he walked towards it, rehearsing what he wanted to ask his lover. Yuki sat with his back facing Shuichi as he typed away at another of his novels. His breathing quickened as Yuki finally turned around, sensing that he wasn't alone. "There's something that I wanted to ask you…"

"You're back early. So most likely you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Shuichi stammered as he watched Yuki walk past him, "Uh…well…no…it's not that. I wanted to ask you…"

"I know, I know. You don't have to go on about it. You want to eat, right? I'll make something for you."

Getting nowhere fast, Shuichi followed Yuki into the kitchen. Deciding to take another approach, he tried making small talk about Seguchi to see how Yuki would respond. "Yuki…h-how's Seguchi-san these days?"

Yuki glanced up quizzically as he heard Shuichi's question. "Huh? Why're you asking me?"

Sensing danger as he replied to Yuki's question, "Uh…you know! It always seems like you and Seguchi-san get along so well…"

Yuki seemed disturbed by this. "After all this time, what would give you the assumption that we get along?"

Seeing Yuki's reaction began to give Shuichi hope. Maybe it was just all in Seguchi's mind, so he had nothing to worry about. "Well, I mean, he _is_ your brother-in-law, after all. He seems like he knows so much about you."

"Of course he knows all about me. We lived together in the U.S. He witnessed my nasty little habits firsthand. The guy's got an attention to detail, too. He probably knows how many hairs I have on my head."

And just as quickly as it rose, Shuichi's hope sank. Those two had lived together?

"In reality, he's the one who took me to New York in the first place. He took care of me, set me up with a place to crash. And he's the one who introduced Kitazawa to me, too. I acted like we were joined at the hip, sometimes."

Before he could stop and think about what he was saying, Shuichi shouted, "Why aren't you pissed off at Seguchi-san? It's because he took you to New York and introduced you to that guy…that's why all those horrible things happened to you!"

"That's enough, Shuichi! I'm not sure what you're getting at, but this is as far as it goes. I've had enough. Why would I hold any of that against Seguchi? It's because of _him_ that I've made it this far. _He_ made me a success. _He's special_. He's different from you…understand?"

Shuichi stiffened as though he'd just been slapped. Well, there was the answer he'd been waiting for, right? "I see…in other words, Seguchi-san is someone special to you, and I'm not. I get the picture now, Yuki. I just can't compete against him, can I? Compared to him, I'm just trash, nothing more!" Feeling the tears welling up, he turned and ran out of the apartment, ignoring Yuki as he called out to him.

* * *

 _Later that day at a taping of a television show, Shuichi revealed what had happened. When he told them that he hadn't yet made up his mind about whom to pick, they were flabbergasted, to say the least. They thought for certain that he'd pick Yuki. Hiro even pulled him aside and told him that he had to ask Yuki how he felt. Otherwise, he'd never know and agonize over it forever. Which led him to his current location at a bar where he'd found both Yuki and Seguchi. Once again, Seguchi threatened to use his power to blacklist Shuichi and his band. When Yuki reprimanded Seguchi, Shuichi thought that Yuki was defending him. Then came the punch line delivered by Yuki himself. "You told me you did all this so I could get Shuichi out of my life, didn't you? You were doing me a favor because I was sick of babysitting this punk. Didn't I say that, Seguchi? You're the only one who understands me."_

Shuichi couldn't believe it. This was just _too_ fucking rich! Embarrassment and shame rippled through him at what had just happened. Here he was just having been dumped by Yuki, in public no less, and his now ex-boyfriend was now acting all buddy-buddy with his boss. Fists clenching, he decided right then that this was the last straw. So why not go out with a bang? He saw K smirk and nod slightly at him from the corner of his eye. Whatever he did, however scandalous, he knew that he could count on K to support him. That thought empowered him. It made him feel as though he could take anything or anyone on. This was how Yuki wanted things to be? Well, fucking fine! So bring it on bitches, because Shuichi was ready for a fight! He heard the song playing in the background and smirked. This was going to make it more enjoyable for him.

 _I guess I didn't hear you right_

 _Did you say that you were leaving me?_

 _You really must be feeling bad,_

 _to say those kinds of things to me._

 _I'm sorry that you feel that way._

 _Because I…_

 _thought that we really had it made._

 _That you and I were gonna last._

 _I guess it's fair to let you know._

Noticing the dark aura that started to emanate from Shuichi, people began edging away from him, not knowing what he was capable of. He stalked over to where Yuki stood next to Seguchi. Pink bangs framed violet eyes, shading the pain that their owner felt. Anger, sadness, and betrayal all swirled together to create a dangerous mixture. Right now, Shuichi couldn't trust that he wouldn't say something that he'd later regret. So he decided to let his fists do the talking for him. Normally, Shuichi would never, could never, imagine himself hitting Yuki in anger. But now, right then, all he felt was a deep sense of disgust. It was aimed at not only Yuki but at himself for allowing Yuki to use him for so long.

 _You're nothing without me._

 _I wouldn't walk out that door._

 _Or you may find out the hard way,_

 _just what love is for._

 _You're nothing without me._

 _You'll never fall in love again._

 _Because there's only one me and you._

 _Why pretend?_

Yuki had no warning as his head flew violently to the side, wincing as he felt the skin of his lip split apart. Raising a hand to wipe away the blood, he glanced over to see who had decked him, gold eyes narrowed coldly. To his surprise there stood Shuichi, blood splattered on the knuckles of his left hand. To say he was shocked would have been one hell of an understatement. This was Shuichi we were talking about! Shuichi didn't make it a habit of punching people. Now all he could do was stare as Shuichi glared hatefully at him, a crowd of curious onlookers clustered around them. Great, this was just what he fucking needed. "What was that for, brat? Is it my fault now that you can't handle the truth?"

"Shut the fuck up, Yuki!" Shuichi spat, his eyes never leaving Yuki's face. "I'm so fucking sick and tired of being played like one of your toys. I'm not your goddamned puppet! You don't even treat me like a human being. To you, I'm just some fucking mutt that you can just snap your fingers at and I'll just obediently come running. Well, fuck that shit! What is my life to you, Yuki? Huh? Is it just some damned game to you? Answer me, goddamn it!"

Yuki stood there stunned, his eyes widening at each word that Shuichi shouted. Before he could say anything, he heard Tohma speak up.

"How dare you hit Eiri-san like that? What gives you the right…" Before Tohma could finish his sentence, he felt the pain race up the side of his face. Bringing a hand to his jaw, he stared incredulously at his assailant. "You damned bastard!" He seethed through clenched teeth.

"Why don't you go fuck yourself sideways with a cactus, _Seguchi-san_?" Shuichi sneered.

K found that he was glad that he'd had the foresight to bring his video camera with him. Damn, he really wished he had some popcorn right now! This whole thing was just priceless to him. Who would've thought that Shuichi had it in him to not only slug Yuki but Tohma as well? Chuckling to himself, he was proud of Shuichi. It took a lot of guts to stand up to people who'd been treating you like shit. He could only picture Shuichi's band mates' expressions once they viewed the tape. That alone sent him off into another fit of giggles making the people around him back away from the crazy man who was laughing to himself.

"Is that the only way the high-and-mighty Seguchi can handle people, by using threats and blackmail? Pathetic! Everything that's gone wrong with Yuki you've found some way to pin on me. I'm honestly surprised that you haven't found some way to blame Kitazawa on me as well! But I suppose that's more _your_ Achilles heel than mine, ne? Maybe it's time you opened your fucking eyes to see that Yuki never needed you! Oh, and by the way, you don't have to fire me, because I quit! And despite your petty threats, Bad Luck will find a new label and we'll be bigger and better just to spite you. Besides, it wasn't some big secret that you couldn't give a rat's ass damn about us. The only reason you even lifted a finger to help us was to keep your precious Yuki's little fuck toy happy, right? You might've helped to destroy my fucked up excuse of a relationship, but I will be fucking damned if I let you take away everything I've worked for!" He said nothing else as he exited the bar, the crowd parting to let him through. The bitterness of his words hung in the stale, smoky air. The bar was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop.

K followed his singer out the door, pausing only to say, "I warned you, Tohma, about what would happen." Still chuckling, he got into the driver's side of the car. _Wonder how Tohma's going to handle the publicity fallout from_ _ **that**_ _little encounter?_ "Where do you want to go, Shuichi?"

Shuichi glanced over at K, an incredulous look on his face. "Where do you think I want to go? I want to get my stuff from that bastard's home. After that, I'll either get a hotel room or crash at Hiro's place." Raising his hand to brush the hair from his eyes, he grimaced at the sight of Yuki's blood on his skin. _Well, too late to go back now. Is this what it's like to finally feel free, to have control of my life once again? I haven't had control since I first met Yuki and that was what, two years ago? Two years of my life wasted on that damned bastard! And endured all of it for what? What have I gained from it? Yeah, I'm famous. But we all know it was only because of Yuki and Seguchi's influence. Everything that pertained to my career was done only to keep me happy, so Yuki wouldn't have a reason to bitch to Seguchi. Apparently, my talent wasn't good enough to carry us alone._ He said nothing, eyes intent on watching the passing scenery outside of his window.

To his relief, he didn't spot Yuki's Mercedes in the driveway. Meaning that he had time to get his things and get the fuck out of Dodge. Grabbing his keys out of his jeans pocket, he opened the door with K standing watch behind him. As he packed his things, he finally realized the small role that he had played in Yuki's life. I mean, come on! Who the fuck makes their lover sleep on the couch instead of the bed? Shuichi snorted, his mood darkening even further. He didn't need Yuki Eiri in his life and he was determined to prove it. After checking to make sure he had everything, he started carrying his stuff out to K's car. Two trips had all of his stuff packed into the trunk. Smirking, he got a sudden idea. "Hey, K, want some target practice?" He asked, holding up his key. Tossing the key up into the air, he watched as K fired his gun three times. When the key finally landed with a clinking noise, he picked it up. He laughed as he noted the three precise holes now etched into the key. "I think that's sufficient enough as a parting gift, don't you, K?" He pitched the key onto the doormat, uncaring as to what happened to it. Getting into the passenger's side, he saw K looking at him. "I'm fine for right now, K. Don't look so concerned. It'd probably be best for me to get booked into a hotel room for tonight. I don't want Seguchi's goons bothering Hiro about any of this."

K would glance over at Shuichi as he drove, unused to this type of behavior from the singer. Sure, he could act like a little drama queen at times, but this detached demeanor was beginning to worry him. He hadn't seen Shuichi shed a tear since they left the bar. A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the Imperial Hotel. He wanted to be certain that Shuichi was away from the public eye as much as he could manage. Shuichi seemed to be holding up relatively well, all facts considered, but even K knew that he would eventually crack. And there would be no telling how much Shuichi would be changed by it. Getting Shuichi's suitcases out of the trunk, he made a mental note to bring his things to Hiro's apartment.

Walking into the sweeping entrance, Shuichi found that he was unable to find wonder in the splendid grandeur of the hotel. He said nothing, only watching silently as K made all of the arrangements. As soon as the key was in his hand, they made their way up to his room. Once on the Executive Floor, they found his room quickly. The room itself was spacious and airy, definitely not lacking in any of the amenities one could wish for. Shuichi sat down on the bed, his blank eyes following K's movements.

K sat Shuichi's luggage on the floor, his discerning eyes seeing the strain starting to show on the younger man's face. "Are you going to be okay, Shuichi?"

Shuichi said nothing at first, finally whispering, "What's okay? I don't know what I feel anymore."

K said nothing at that, not really knowing how to fix what was hurting Shuichi. The only thing that could help him now was time…and lots of it. "I'll be back tomorrow to see how you're doing, Shuichi. When I leave here tonight, I'll take your stuff over to Hiro's. Is that okay with you?" At the man's nod, he continued. "Get some sleep, Shuichi. You need it more than you know." He let himself out of the room, hoping that Shuichi didn't do something stupid to himself.

Reclining back onto the queen-sized bed, Shuichi finally gave into the tears he'd wanted to shed ever since he was dumped earlier in the evening. Salty trails of liquid poured down his face as his breath hitched with each sob. The depression he felt now hurt worse than when he'd been thrown out by Yuki not too long after he first moved in. His assault and rape, being left behind by Yuki…all of it paled in comparison to what he was experiencing now. Grabbing a tissue from the box on the nightstand, he wiped his eyes before blowing his nose. Feeling somewhat better, he reached for the remote, wanting nothing more than to watch mind-numbing television. He'd watch anything that would quiet the cacophony of emotions in his mind. As he flipped through the channels, he finally found an all-music channel. The sad, slow sound of the music hit him first before the heart-wrenching lyrics did. _Depressing breakup music…this is more my style right now. You're preaching to the choir, girl! Hold on and I'll sing along with you. I'm fairly certain that I know the words to heartache by now._

Getting back onto his feet, he walked over to where the mini bar was located. Right now, all he wanted to do was to get shit-faced drunk and then curl up into the fetal position and await his inevitable hangover. It sounded good to him. He looked over his selection of poison. Hmmm…what was the preferred drink when one was depressed? Since he couldn't really hold his liquor, he had no idea. Spying a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey, he decided to go for the gold. If that wouldn't make him drunk, then no amount of alcohol would. Holding the bottle in his hand, he walked over to lie down on the bed. With his back propped up by soft, goose feather pillows, he raised the bottle to his face. "Hello, Jack, my name is Shuichi. Here's to getting acquainted with you. Cheers!" Raising the bottle in a mock salute, he proceeded to get drunk off his ass.

The half-empty bottle sat on the nightstand, condensation pooling onto the wooden surface. Shuichi was half-asleep, his glazed eyes fixed on the television. Every word she sang cut a painful wound in his already damaged heart. He didn't know what he'd do tomorrow, besides suffering from a smashing hangover from his party with his newfound friend Jack. Let's review, shall we? Based on tonight's events, he no longer had a lover or a job. Yep, his life was now officially fucked up. All thanks to one manipulative, overbearing bastard. Hell, that was reason enough to him to get smashed off of his ass, if nothing else.

Rolling over onto his side, his hand clutched the pillow next to his head. His last memories of Yuki flashed through his mind, his sobs increasing with each moment that flickered like a slideshow. Everything he'd done for Yuki, only to hear him thanking Seguchi for breaking them apart. And here he was crying over the bastard. Even as he drifted off to sleep, he resolved to drive everything related to Yuki from both his life and mind. Tomorrow was another day. And there would be a new Shuichi when it dawned.

* * *

Back in his car, K pulled out his cell phone. After listening to it ring for a few minutes, a man's voice finally answered. "Sakano, listen to me. I want you to get a hold of Fujisaki and meet me at Hiro's house. We've got a situation with Shuichi that's going to need all of our attention." He sighed as the man naturally went into hysterics. "Sakano, calm down and keep your damned head together! This is serious! What's happened tonight will affect Bad Luck's career, not to mention Shuichi's sanity." After getting the man's reassurance, he hung up the phone and put the car into gear. Deep down, even though he didn't show it, he was pissed at how they'd treated Shuichi. The kid gave and gave but got nothing in return. If things turned out the way he hoped, soon Shuichi and Bad Luck would get the well-deserved recognition they had earned.

He pulled up into the entrance to Hiro's house. He idly wondered if he was going to have to restrain Hiro from going and beating the shit out of Yuki. Personally, he really didn't give a damn if Hiro whaled on him. But then there'd be the drag of bailing him out of jail. As he got out of the car, he saw the door to Hiro's house open. Hiro stood in the doorway and K could make out the faint outline of Ayaka standing behind him. He could have crowed right then upon seeing her there. This would _definitely_ help make his plan go easier. Although loyal to Yuki in the past, Ayaka had grown fond of Shuichi. "Hiro, could you give me a hand? I need to bring Shuichi's things inside." K would have sworn he felt the air chill as he saw Hiro's eyes narrow.

Hiro waited until he was standing next to K to state what he wanted to say. "So the bastard kicked him out, huh? Guess things didn't go smoothly tonight then." He almost dropped one of Shuichi's boxes when he heard what K had to tell him. "You're shitting me, right? _Shuichi's_ the one who up and left?"

K nodded, smirking back at Hiro. "I've got tonight's events all on video, Hiro-kun. On my way here I called Sakano and told him to bring Fujisaki with him. Once you see what went down, you'll have a better understanding of why he left. Plus, I've got some things that I need to discuss with all of you." Seeing headlights pull up behind him, he turned around. "Oh good, looks like everyone's here! Let's finish getting Shuichi's stuff in the house, Hiro."

Once everyone was settled, K turned and looked at his audience. Hiro, Ayaka, and Sakano sat on one couch, while Fujisaki and Ryuichi (who had come with Sakano) sat on another. "As you know, I accompanied Shuichi when he went to ask Yuki-san how he really felt about him. Needless to say, things did _not_ go very well. Tohma did his usual spiel about blacklisting Bad Luck and then Yuki-san stepped in. At first, I thought he was defending Shuichi, but well…maybe you should just watch the DVD instead." He popped in the DVD and pressed play. Standing to the side, he observed their reactions as they watched the events of the night unfold. Hiro looked like he wanted to murder both of the blond men on the screen and Ayaka placed a hand on his arm to try and calm him down. She looked upset as well. Sakano was, for once, not going into hysterics. He looked completely shattered, as though someone had told him the Easter bunny wasn't real. Apparently, he hadn't seen this side of his boss. Fujisaki looked calm and K knew that was because he wasn't shocked by his cousin's behavior. Hell, the kid had probably expected it all along. Finally, he looked at Ryuichi and saw that he had his serious face on. That could only mean that a certain keyboardist was going to get his ass royally chewed out later on. Ryuichi respected Shuichi and didn't like to see him abused in any manner. The DVD soon came to a close and K silently shut it off.

"Those fucking bastards…who in the hell do they think they are?!" Hiro swore as he got up and started pacing. He stopped suddenly and looked over at K. "K-san, where is Shu right now? Please tell me he's somewhere safe."

K nodded as he replied, "I booked him into a room on the Executive Floor of the Imperial Hotel. When I left him, he was like a zombie. Even on the way to the hotel he never cried once. What they've done has totally demoralized him. Quite frankly, I'm not sure if he'll hold up through it or not. That's why I'm about to announce a possibility for Bad Luck to embark on. Reiji, from XMR, has expressed an interest in gaining Bad Luck to her label. This would be your chance to break into the American market and possibly beyond. You'd have to move to the US…New York to be exact. What does everyone think?"

Everyone just gaped at K, trying to comprehend what he'd just said. Finally Hiro spoke up and asked, "What about Shu? Has he agreed to this plan of yours?"

"I haven't spoken to him about it yet. I wanted to see what everyone thought of it before I mentioned it to him. If you have doubts about it, think about it this way. This would give Shuichi the break he needs to get on with his life. He'd have a fresh start in the US with the chance to prove what Bad Luck is capable of. And, he might finally have the chance to meet someone who will truly love him. Do you want to deny him that?"

"No, I don't." Hiro replied softly. "He does deserve that chance." He looked over at Ayaka.

As if sensing what he didn't say, she said, "If it is alright with K-san, I'd love to go with you. I don't want to see our relationship possibly die due to it being long-distance. I feel that this would give us a new start as well, Hiro-kun."

"I agree with K-san, Nakano-san. I think this would be a good opportunity for us all." Fujisaki spoke up. "It would help us to break out from the shadow of Nittle Grasper and NG Records. No offense, Sakuma-san."

Turning back to face K, Hiro replied, "This plan of yours is fine with us, K-san. But tomorrow we will all go visit Shuichi and hear what he has to say about this."

* * *

The next morning found them all, save Sakano-san who had told them that he had a few things to say to Seguchi, outside of Shuichi's hotel room door. K knocked on the door and waited. Hearing no one stirring inside of the room, he reached out and turned the handle. Finding it unlocked, they walked in. The room was dark and they could hear the muted sounds coming from the television. Hiro walked over and turned it off as Ayaka went over to open the drapes. When light filled the room they all heard a low-pitched groan. Shuichi lay on the bed with his arm draped over his eyes. "Will someone _please_ shut off the fucking sun before it burns what's left of my brain cells?! And get rid of the kangaroos tripping out on LSD while you're at it!"

K picked up the bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey sitting on the nightstand. "No wonder you've got such a monster hangover, Shuichi. You know you can't hold your liquor. Why did you even drink this stuff?"

Shuichi by this time had sat up on the bed. He glared at K before answering. "My life's been flushed down the proverbial shithole and you have the nerve to ask me _why_ I got drunk? Grow a fucking brain, would you? As of right now, both my relationship and job have been pissed on. Do you expect me to be little Miss Fucking Sunshine?!" His stomach chose that moment to rebel his liquor-induced spree the night before and he bolted off the bed towards the bathroom.

Hiro had just come out of the bathroom with a glass of water and two aspirin in his hands when he felt the whirlwind pass by him. The sounds of vomiting could be heard throughout the room. _K-san should have told them to lock up the mini bar to keep Shu out. He's just unable to drink alcohol._ Shuichi reemerged a few minutes later, his face white and drawn looking. Walking over to where his friend sat, he told him, "Here, Shu, maybe this will make you feel better." He watched silently as his friend tossed back the aspirin, drinking the entire glass of water. "Shu, K-san has a proposition for the band. Please hear him out before you agree or disagree to anything."

Shuichi tried to listen to what K was saying, though the pounding in his skull was trying to prevent it. This was a good thing, right? It would give him a chance to get away from both Yuki and Seguchi's meddling interference. Most importantly, it would show the pompous bastards that _someone_ out there wanted him. That he didn't need any pathetic crumbs from them to survive. _And XMR's a hell of a lot bigger than NG. Imagine how widely known Bad Luck could become! It's time I did something for myself and my band for a change. Fuck those assholes! They're not worth my time anymore!_ "K-san, call Reiji and tell her she has a deal. As of now, Bad Luck is no longer with NG Records. But first, we need to break our contract."

"I think Sakano's taking care of that for you, Shuichi. He wasn't too pleased with what he saw on the DVD last night. We just may see a new side of him today." Before Shuichi could comment on what he meant by that, he had already walked out into the hallway to contact Reiji.

"What did he just mean by a DVD? Did that bastard record what happened last night? He did, didn't he?! Damn it, when I get my hands on him!"

"Please calm down, Shuichi-kun! K-san didn't mean anything mean-spirited by it. He only wanted to show us what you had faced last night. We are all on your side and want to help."

Shuichi felt like he was suddenly thrust into the Twilight Zone. Here was Ayaka, Yuki's ex-fiancée, taking _his_ side in this whole affair. "Thanks, Ayaka-san. That means a lot."

K walked back into the room with a big smile on his face. "We leave in the morning on an 8:00 AM flight to New York City. I want you to spend today getting packed and ready to go. A limo will pick each of you up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. This way we'll have a nice getaway out of Japan."

"Hiro, do you mind if I go back with you and crash at your house? I need to sort through my stuff and decide what I need to store at my parents' house."

Hiro nodded. He helped Shuichi gather his things, since he hadn't unpacked, as K took care of his checking out. Hiro and Ayaka decided to ride back with both K and Shuichi. Fujisaki went back with Ryuichi after promising that he'd see them tomorrow morning.

Shuichi said out of the blue, "K-san, do you have the _only_ copy of that DVD? Has anyone else seen it?"

K didn't even take his eyes off of the road as he replied, "Oh, I might have sent a copy to one other person. And I'm sure she's pretty pissed off at two certain people right now."

Shuichi sat there horrified as he realized who K had sent a copy to. "You sent a copy to Mika-san? Are you fucking insane, you stupid American? That's all I fucking need is Mika-san coming after me for hitting not just her brother, but her husband as well!" He groaned and sank down in his seat. "How much more is my life going to get fucked up? Wasn't last night enough?"

"I think you're underestimating yourself, Shuichi. Mika-san is mature enough to see who was truly at fault in all of this. While she may have doubted your relationship with Yuki-san at one point, she came around, didn't she? I think you have more people on your side than you realize."

"We can only hope, K-san."

* * *

Well, we've reached the end of Chapter 1. Okay, let's all lower the pitchforks and torches gently now. Man, when they say the shit has hit the fan, they weren't kidding! You know, people might think that I enjoy making Yuki suffer. Yep, you got me. Okay, I will admit there were _some_ moments in the manga/anime that I didn't totally want to rip his head off. However, when I read vols. 8-9, all bets were off. To me, in my opinion, Yuki really needs to learn the value of the saying "You don't know what you've got until it's gone". And that's what I set about doing in each of my fanfics. Okay, in the next story that I'm writing, I don't anticipate that much suffering since it is kind of AU, but that doesn't mean there won't be angst.

 **Preview of Chapter 2**

Both Sakano and Ryuichi will unleash their wrath on Tohma. "Jerry, Jerry!" *ahem* Sorry about that, but I couldn't resist! On a side note, Tohma might want to clear his office of sharp, pointy objects…but that's just my opinion! Shuichi and his band mates will leave for the US. Wonder what surprises await them in the Big Apple? Stay tuned for the next installment of "Lover Come Back"!

Songs used in this chapter/inspired it are in the following order:  
Gravitation Theme 2 - Gravitation, Hypnotic Distortion – Gravitation, "You're Nothing Without Me" – Belinda Carlisle


	2. Leaving

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I still don't own Gravitation or its characters. All characters are the property of Maki Murakami and Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

 _ **When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it. – Bernard Bailey**_

Sakano ignored people calling out to him as he walked towards his destination. He was still in shock over what he had seen last night. No one deserved to be treated in such a vile manner when it appeared that the other party was jealous. He had practically sweated blood and tears to get Bad Luck this far! In fact, it seemed as though he was the only one who actually cared about the band. Obviously, Seguchi was only engrossed in anything that concerned one Yuki Eiri. He remembered Shuichi's words from the DVD and although he hated to admit it, it did seem as though Shuichi was correct. Everything that had seemed to be an aid for Bad Luck seemed to originate from Seguchi's desired to please Yuki. Sakano recalled every event and he always suspected that there was something more to Seguchi's motives than helping out the fledgling band.

Stiffening his back, he knocked on the office door. After hearing Seguchi call for him to come in, he made a decision to wait. He would see for himself just how much Seguchi detested Shuichi. That would help him in his wavering decision that he'd lost sleep over since the day before. As he walked in, he noticed that Seguchi sat on one of the couches in his office, staring intently at the television in front of him. It was blaring news about Judy Winchester arriving at C-Vivant in Shibuya to personally celebrate the Japanese opening of her latest movie. Sakano could see the discoloration on Seguchi's jaw where Shuichi had punched him the night before.

"She's a Hollywood superstar. That type of person will do anything to get to the top. She'd probably renounce her own parents if it got her a magazine cover. I bet she's never let her emotions get in the way of her career. I'm sure she's a consummate professional, willing to pour all of her spirit and energy into her work. I wish I could say otherwise…but I really don't have that kind of dedication to my profession."

Sakano was confused as to why Seguchi was suddenly talking about that. "Why are you so suddenly concerned about this, Seguchi-san?"

"I'm the one who broke up Shindou-san and Eiri-san. You may think I did it to help the band prosper, but that would be a lie. I did it all for _him_ , for my Eiri. It had everything to do with my personal feelings and nothing to do with Bad Luck. And after Shindou-san's _appalling_ behavior last night, he and Bad Luck no longer even exist on NG's roster. After I'm through with him, the little shrimp will be begging me for a chance to come back."

Sakano's eyes narrowed at his words. "So from the start, Seguchi, you never actually had any interest in helping Bad Luck, did you? It appears as though Shindou-san was right. Everything was done only in the interest of your precious _Eiri-san_. Have you been out of the loop for so long that you've lost sight of what it takes to become a star in this business? Shindou-san worked day and night to get Bad Luck off of the ground and you just dismiss him as though he's nothing?! I feel sorry for Shindou-san after he had to deal with both your interference and Yuki-san's cold attitude."

Tohma looked over at Sakano, his eyes wide at the man's suddenly chilly attitude. He had even dropped the usual honorific he always used with his name. It looked as though the man who had fawned over him in the past had developed a sudden backbone overnight. "This whole matter is none of your business since Bad Luck is no longer affiliated with NG. I'll overlook your acting out of line for now. But remember this – it had better not occur again in the future. Have I made myself clear, Sakano-san?"

"You've made something clear, Seguchi. You've proven that you're a royal bastard who loves nothing more than to manipulate people. And let me make something clear for _you_. Bad Luck doesn't need whatever pathetic table scraps you choose to throw them. XMR has made an offer for Bad Luck to join their label, which has been accepted. As of now, Bad Luck's contract with NG is null and void. Shindou-san will make good on his promise that Bad Luck will thrive _and_ be bigger just to spite you!"

Tohma's mouth thinned into a line, his eyes darkening in anger. "You've crossed the line, Sakano-san. I will not tolerate your insubordination!" His mouth suddenly turned up into a cruel smirk. "How fitting that a second-rate producer chooses to stick with a second-rate band. XMR must have hired idiots who don't know what _true_ music is to have chosen Bad Luck. That Ryuichi-wannabe will _never_ make anything of that pathetic band!"

Sakano clenched his fists in an effort to control his anger before he did something he might regret. "Also effective immediately is my resignation from NG. I will be transferring to XMR with Bad Luck as their producer." He turned to leave but before he did, he turned around and slammed his fist into Tohma's left eye. "Consider that to be my resignation letter, _Seguchi-san_." Spinning on his heel, he marched out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

Once outside the office, he leaned back against the door. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to slug his now ex-boss like he had, but damn did it feel good! Now he knew how Shuichi must have felt the night before. The sudden adrenaline rush felt invigorating! Looking up, he almost yelped at seeing Sakuma Ryuichi in front of him. "S-Sakuma-san…I didn't expect to see you here!" A sudden realization dawned on him that Sakuma-san had overheard everything that had just occurred. He wanted to groan at the thought. Feeling a hand touch his shoulder, he looked up at the older man.

"Don't worry, Sakano-san. I'm not angry with you. In fact, I'm quite pleased with what you just did. It's about time that someone showed Tohma that he won't always get his way. And now, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind as well." With that said, Ryuichi sauntered past him and into Tohma's office.

Sakano repressed a shudder at the coldness of Sakuma-san's voice. Noticing that Sakuma-san wasn't holding onto Kumagoro, he knew then that he was here on business. He wanted to feel pity for Seguchi but he somehow couldn't dredge up the feeling. Walking away quickly, he decided it would be best to go ahead and clear out his office. After all, he had a plane to catch the next morning.

Ryuichi shut the door behind him before he turned around to look at the man he had called a friend. Thinking back on what he'd told Sakano, he knew it was correct. Tohma had indeed gotten _too_ used to getting his way through whatever means possible. Tohma needed to be shown that not everyone would bow down to his will. He could see the man sitting on the couch holding a bag of ice to his now swollen left eye. It seemed ironic to Ryuichi that two men who Tohma had thought weak had punched him in the span of two days. He almost laughed aloud but controlled himself in time. "It seems like you've had a rough morning, Tohma. What's wrong? From the looks of things, I'd guess you're having problems controlling people again. How tough it must be for you."

Tohma glared up at him with one eye. "What do you want, Ryuichi-san? I'm not in the mood to play your silly little games this morning."

Leaning against the door, Ryuichi spoke again. "Oh, I know about _everything_ that happened last night and this morning as well. And let me just make one thing clear, Tohma. Never call Shuichi a wannabe of me again. I will not tolerate your abusing my friends. You seem to have forgotten that somewhere along the line. Were you figuring that I wouldn't find out about it? Guess again. I would suggest that you not forget who made Nittle Grasper famous, Tohma. You know, I have to wonder how Mika-san would feel about all of this. In actuality, I feel pity for her. I mean, seeing as how you rarely pay any attention to her, instead choosing to focus on Yuki-san instead. When you finally realize that he never needed you, it'll be too late because there won't be anyone left for you to turn to. What will you do then, Tohma?" He turned around and walked out of the room.

Tohma sat there watching the closed door. In the span of two days, he'd had three people turn on him. He almost wished Ryuichi had yelled at him, rather than using that quiet, disappointed tone. Even Eiri had disappeared after the scene at the bar and Tohma suspected that he might have gone to Kyoto. Staring silently at the now dark television screen, he thought about both Sakano and Ryuichi's words. Was it possible that they were correct? And even when he did do something that helped Eiri, it wasn't like the younger man was terribly grateful to him. But even to this day, he still harbored a terrible guilt because of the incident concerning Eiri and Kitazawa. Tohma decided that this was his chance to reevaluate things before it was too late.

* * *

Ryuichi didn't know how Mika would react once he reached Kyoto. He knew that K had given her a copy of the DVD he'd watched last night, but he had no way of knowing if she'd viewed it yet or not. Glancing over at the passenger side, he saw the tape recorder sitting there like a bomb waiting to go off. He'd recorded both his and Sakano's conversations with Tohma. He wanted to make sure that Mika knew exactly what was going on. Too many times she'd been left in the dark and it was time for her to see the light once and for all. Getting out of his car, he absently wondered if he'd run into Tatsuha while he was here. Brushing that thought aside, he walked to the main temple. Luck was with him as he spotted Mika almost instantly. "Mika-san, could I have a few words with you?"

They went into an empty room and sat down. Ryuichi noticed that she looked paler than usual and hoped that what had happened hadn't stressed her too much. He knew this had to hurt seeing two of the people who were supposed to be closest to you treating another as they did. "Have you watched the DVD yet that K-san gave to you?"

Mika tensed as Ryuichi asked his question. "Yes, I saw it. I couldn't believe it at first. I felt so helpless seeing them break Shuichi-kun as they did. But I know one thing. I'm glad that Shuichi-kun stood up for himself. I'm waiting for the right moment to bring this up to Eiri. Right now, I want him to stew in his guilt over what he did to Shuichi-kun." Reaching a hand into her pocket, she pulled out what looked to be a house key with three holes shot in it. "I found this on Eiri's doorstep when I went to get him some clothing and his laptop. I believe this was both Shuichi-kun and K-san's way of telling Eiri to fuck off."

Ryuichi laughed. "That does look like K-san's handiwork. But there is something else that you need to hear, Mika-san." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tape recorder. "I went to Tohma's office this morning to give him a piece of my mind about what he put Shuichi-kun through last night. Imagine my surprise to find that Sakano-san had beaten me to it. Not only did he chew him out and resign, he also punched him in his left eye. I've got every moment of both his and my conversation on tape."

Mika's eyes widened at what Ryuichi told her. "Sakano…who is always agitated and nervous, not to mention devoted to my husband, did all of that?" She grew silent as she listened to the tape. The brunette couldn't believe how her husband was behaving. It looked as though it was time for a talk with him as well. "Thank you, Ryuichi, for telling me this. What time does Shuichi-kun leave tomorrow?"

"His plane leaves tomorrow morning at 8:00. Why do you ask? It's not like you're going to be able to make Yuki-san go and stop him. I highly doubt that Shuichi-kun even wants to see him."

"No, I'm not going to tell Eiri until it's too late. I think he needs to learn a lesson from all of this. There is a favor that I would like to request of you, Ryuichi. Is it possible for this to "leak" to the press and have the paparazzi there? I want to make an example of it to Eiri."

Ryuichi smiled at Mika. "Consider it done, Mika-san. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if K-san hadn't already thought of it."

* * *

Shuichi fought to stay awake as he climbed out of the limo. Hiro, Fujisaki, Ayaka and Sakano followed behind. On the way to the airport, Sakano related what had happened in Seguchi's office. When he told them how he stood up for them and the manner in which he had resigned, Shuichi had hugged him. Sakano's support meant more than he knew. He had never been happier than when he was told that Ryuichi had also gone to talk to the keyboardist. Walking into the airport, he saw K-san and Ryuichi waiting for them. Seeing Ryuichi motion to him, he walked over to where the other man stood. "What is it, Sakuma-san?"

"I've spoken with Mika-san and she wants you to know that you have her full support. You have a lot of people behind you, Shuichi-kun. Don't ever forget that."

"Thank you, Sakuma-san. That means a lot." His head whipped around when he heard the cacophony of ear-splitting shrieks. _Oh shit!_ He groaned mentally. _It looks like our departure's been leaked. God only knows what we'll have to deal with now._

What appeared to be a swarm of both male and female fans along with a side of paparazzi was storming their way. The bravest of the reporters got in his face and started barraging him with questions. "Shindou-san, is it true that Bad Luck is no longer with NG Records? Will you be transferring to XMR?"

"Yes, it's all true. Bad Luck will be debuting with XMR once we land in the States." He waited for the dreaded relationship question. After the other night, it was bound to be asked.

"Shindou-san – is it true that you and Yuki Eiri are no longer in a relationship?"

Shuichi laughed suddenly, making the reporter's eyes go wide at his reaction. "After I was publicly dumped and humiliated in a bar by that bastard where the whole fiasco ended with me ripping him a new one and then slugging him? Do you _really_ have to ask that question? No, I'm no longer with him and I'd say that I'm better off."

Before any more questions could be asked, K and the guards he'd hired were ushering them to a private jet that sat resting on the tarmac. Even as they boarded the plane, they could see the swarm being held back by airport security. Shuichi turned around to look at K. "I thought we were taking a flight to the States."

K sat down before answering. "Change of plans, Shuichi. That crowd would have made it too difficult. But it was so nice of XMR to send their own personal jet for us to use."

Shuichi snorted at that. "Something tells me that you had something to do with all of those fans and reporters swarming us like that. Care to tell me why?"

"Nope."

Shuichi just shook his head and sat down. Since it would be a long flight, he settled in to take a nap. He wondered if Yuki would see their departure or if he'd even care. Right now, all that mattered to Shuichi was his career. He'd abandoned it for far too long.

Sleep wasn't quick in coming, though. Opening his eyes, he saw the others just relaxing in the plane. They seemed happy that they were leaving Japan behind. Shuichi wanted this chance to prove what he could really do. But that part of him that missed Yuki, even though he kept squashing it down, kept popping up. Why should he even think or worry about that bastard? Yuki had made his choice and he'd have to live with it. Closing his eyes once again, he forced himself to clear thoughts of Yuki from his mind.

* * *

 **Chapter 3 Preview:** Well, I guess I _should_ give Yuki's POV to this story. We'll see his reasoning (or should I say stupidity) for what he did.

Songs used in this chapter: _Had Enough – Breaking Benjamin; Invisibly Shaken – Rodney Atkins_


End file.
